Five Minutes

Toy Soldiers

She felt terrible lying to him, but in this circumstance the omission of the truth was the best method. If she hadn't fabricated something, he would have only continued to interrogate her.

For the next few days, she slept in the guest house. She didn't know if she would eventually leave Ralston or not. She wasn't certain of anything anymore. Since her realization that she felt a wall go up whenever he was around, she was convinced their marriage hit a giant snag she couldn't untangle.

She spent some nights crying herself to sleep. And she didn't know why. It was an overwhelming sadness that encompassed her. She didn't feel like cooking anymore, so on days when she would actually eat, she ordered takeout, normally consuming less than half and placing the rest in the refrigerator.

She occasionally did miss Ralston, other times she didn't want to see or talk to him. Or even think about him. For all she knew, he was a terrible person who masterfully hid behind charm and forced gregariousness.

As she drove to see her publicist, she thought maybe she could leave the country for a while. Leave without telling anybody. There was no one she would miss.

Veronica had hired a publicist after being cast in Extraneous, since she was now segueing into mainstream film. Some of her friends told her it was important to maintain a positive media persona to ensure a good reputation, which would certify a bigger chance of movie roles. Iris was not an in-house publicist, so she didn't accompany Veronica to events or film sets. Although she was doing her best to up Veronica's status in the business.

She parked her car and walked into the building. Iris's office was on the second floor; Veronica had initially been surprised by how colourful it was during their first appointment. Her desk was very organized but there was a giant backdrop of green and an assortment of photos and figurines atop her desk that made it seem more cluttered than it actually was.

Iris was also one of the most beautiful women Veronica had ever seen. She had large, striking hazel eyes, smooth tanned skin and dark hair. She had mentioned to Veronica before that she was mixed; her dad was African American and her mother was Jewish.

Veronica assumed this was regarding a potential magazine interview of some sort. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to the second floor. That hopelessness hit her again and she had to take a few deep breaths to bury it.

Once sitting inside the office, she had to wait only a minute or two before Iris welcomed her in.

"How've you been doing?" Iris asked,

"All right, I guess," Veronica said.

"Have you been online lately?"

"Yeah... but barely. I don't go online that much."

"So you haven't read the articles quoting Daniel Sanders claiming you stalked him while you were filming Extraneous?"

Veronica was stunned. That was not a bomb she was expecting to be dropped. Did she hear Iris correctly? "What?"

"He did an interview with Variety that was published yesterday and in the article he mentions you followed him around between takes, and propositioned him for sex after the wrap party, when he came into your room to check on you. You didn't hear any of this?"

"No." She couldn't cry in front of Iris. She was forcing herself to gather her resolve and calm down. But her chest felt tight. "None of that is even true. I didn't stalk him."

"I believe you, Ronnie, I really do, but we need to tell that to the public. Go on record and say nothing transpired between you two."

"What if they don't believe me?" she asked.

"You can't sit back and say nothing. It'll make it more difficult for you to get hired for other acting roles."

"I don't understand why he would do this. He's the one who kept texting me after the movie was over," she said.

"So you have evidence to back up your claim?" Iris asked. "That's good!"

"I blocked the numbers he used and deleted all the texts."

"You can restore deleted texts. Just get them back on your phone."

"But...what if he manages to convince everyone those texts are fake?" There were countless ways it could go wrong and backfire on her. Was it worth it to take the risk?

"You can't let him getting away with it," Iris spat.

"But if I retaliate it might get worse." Why did he have to do this to her? Was he purposely singling her out to destroy her life? Was this because she'd blatantly rejected his advances? What he had expected after forcing her to have sex with him? That she'd begin fawning all over him?

These questions tore their way through her brain, making it difficult for her concentrate and remain cool.

"I'm going to reach out to some online publications and tell them you've stated none of it's true."

"Okay, fine, whatever," she muttered, feeling utterly defeated. She knew Iris was only looking out for her, but the situation was causing her to cry on the inside. It occurred to her then that Daniel would refuse to leave her alone.

She left the office, dazed by the turn of events. That daze morphed into despondence as she gripped the steering wheel tightly with her hands.

It didn't matter if she wanted to act like it didn't happen. Keep it a secret and move on. Daniel evidently had other plans for her. The reminder was now surely inescapable and a constant in her life. She hated it and she hated him.

She couldn't even make herself stop. She cried, lowered her head, as if caving in to her losses.

If she couldn't discard it, she had to fight it. It wasn't okay for Daniel to make up lies about her, making himself out as innocent.

This, however, was tied to highly probable backlash and doubt. If no one believed her, it eliminated all the progress she'd made as an actress. It happened whenever any woman spoke out. Those higher in power had a big hold on them. They were like bullies who scared people into keeping silent and manipulated others into siding with them.

She had to figure it all out. She couldn't hide anymore.